Research On Processing Of Polarization Maintaining Fiber Preform

Polarization maintaining fiber (PMF) is one kind of the special optical fiber. Because of its excellent ability to maintain the polarization state, so it is widely used in the optical communication and various types of sensor components. Polarization maintaining fiber preform is the raw materials of PMF that directly affects the performance of PMF. So, the research on the polarization maintaining fiber preform preparation process is necessary.The paper mainly researched processing methods of the Panda-type polarization maintaining optical fiber preform. Firstly, stress rods were prepared by multi-component glass method, calculating and weighing of raw material according to the designed formula. After three hours of high-temperature melting, than, the stress rods can be casted. The size of graphite die is φ10×70mm. Through several experiments to determine that final formula of stress rod glass was was70SiO2-22B2O3-8R.2O, and its thermal expansion coefficient was α=5.16871E-06℃-1, meeting the thermal stability requirement of polarization maintaining optical fiber preform. Second, the stress hole’s process was researched. The traditional method has mechanical drilling and acoustic borehole. Through comparing and researching the preparation process, closed drilling was replaced by opening grooving in the study. We grooved the preform cladding on the grinding wheel. At the last, stress rod was fixed in the groove closely. In this way, panda type polarization maintaining optical fiber preform preparation was completed. We can draw the obtained Panda type polarization maintaining optical fiber preform on the optical fiber drawing machine, showing its quality stability.